Rangel: 1 thing always big in Texas -- money

Though Amarillo’s state Sen. Kel Seliger ran unopposed in the Nov. 6 election, he raised $283,189 in the second half of last year and his campaign now has more than $1.5 million in the bank. And Lubbock’s Sen. Robert Duncan, who easily defeated a Libertarian Party challenger that didn’t even campaign for the seat, raised $119,484 during the same period and his war chest is now $680,000.

However, the money both Republican lawmakers raised is a fraction of what some statewide officeholders raised, according to reports all elected state officials and unsuccessful candidates filed with the Texas Ethics Commission last week.

The amounts Duncan and Seliger have in the bank are modest even compared to what a few fellow legislators have because — with the possible exception of a $20,000 and a $15,000 donation Seliger received — neither reported huge contributions.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, on the other hand, raised $4.1 million and his cash on hand is now more than $18 million, by far the largest war chest of any public official in the state. And Gov. Rick Perry raised more than $3.5 million and reported $6 million in the bank.

Even George P. Bush, grandson of President Bush I and nephew of President Bush II — who hasn’t decided what elective post he’ll seek next year — raised more than $1.3 million in just the last two months of 2012.

And though contributions range from as little as $1, it is the big ones from the likes of Houston home builder Bob Perry and Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons that stand out.

Perry, Simmons and other wealthy Texans are perennial donors who give generously — hundreds of thousands of dollars at times — mostly to Republicans and to the Republican Party of Texas.

The money Abbott, Gov. Perry (no relation to Bob Perry) and other statewide officials receive from wealthy donors reflects not only the influence of wealthy individuals and powerful interest groups but confirms that such contributors see the GOP controlling Texas for years — despite the changing demographics expected to start favoring Democrats as early as 2020.

The influence of Big Money is no secret in Austin.

Bob Perry, for example, is widely believed to be behind the push that killed contentious anti-illegal immigration bills — including one that would have outlawed the so-called sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants Gov. Perry declared emergency legislation in the 2011 session.

Moreover, as the Capitol press recently noted when the Texas Ethics Commission fined Simmons $6,450 for a campaign contribution violation, he heads a company that operates a nuclear-waste dump in Andrews County.

Critics such as Texans for Public Justice — an Austin group that monitors campaign contributions — have long complained Simmons received the OK for the dump with the help of powerful Republican friends in the State Capitol.

This brings me to the Texas Panhandle/South Plains legislative delegation.

Though Duncan and Seliger don’t raise as much money as some statewide officials, or even compared to some of their colleagues in the Legislature, what they’ve raised so far exceeds what all other members of the delegation raised collectively. Their fund-raising success also speaks of the clout both senior senators have in Austin.

Equally important, since West Texas is the reddest region in the state, the war chests Duncan and Seliger have discourage potential Republican challengers.

If you don’t believe an intra-party challenger can be a serious threat to an incumbent, ask former GOP Reps. Delwin Jones of Lubbock and Jim Landtroop of Plainview. Rep. Charles Perry, also of Lubbock, ousted Jones in the 2010 primary and Rep. Ken King of Canadian unseated Landtroop last year.

As Seliger — who has never had a strong opponent since he was elected to the Texas Senate nine years ago — has mentioned occasionally, he hopes he never gets a strong challenger.

But if he ever does, he’ll have the money to run a well-funded campaign.